


Just Be Yourself

by KureKai_King



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Encouragement, Fluff, M/M, Realisation, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29429673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KureKai_King/pseuds/KureKai_King
Summary: How do you expect to impress someone when you think so low of yourself?
Relationships: Miyoshi Kazunari & Nanao Taichi, Miyoshi Kazunari/Nanao Taichi
Kudos: 8





	Just Be Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> I did actually age Taichi up in this fic but I think he's actually 18 now in canon/current timeline (or so I've heard) but either way, he's not a minor here

Taichi sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror, shoulders slumping. _There’s no way he’d see anything special in me, especially romantically. What am I doing? I’ve seen how he is after those parties he goes to, that stupid giddy smile on his stupidly handsome face. I can’t make him feel that happy no matter how hard I try. Maybe I should quit while I’m ahead…_

He shook his head with a determined look before it faltered again. How did the other couples in Mankai manage it? He’d watched them from afar all this time, making mental notes and yet whenever he had the courage to try something out himself it was shot down by his own self-doubt. Taichi was at a complete loss.

Before, when he’d first discovered his feelings, it had been a matter of him simply being too young. He was old enough now for things to not look as awkward if he continued to pursue this feeling that had only grown stronger over the years.

_I’m not good enough…not for someone like him. If anything, he probably sees me as some little brother he can mess around with. Perhaps I should just be happy and content with that alone and not attempt to ruin anything. And I’ve seen him with some of his college friends! I’m nothing like them… Argh, I completely overlooked the fact that he might not even want to date a guy! I’m so stupid… Yuki’s right, I am just a dumb dog…_

Walking away from the mirror, Taichi decided to curl up on his bed for the rest of the afternoon.

Unfortunately, the peace was very short-lived when the very person of his thoughts decided it was the best time to burst in and send his heart into a constant whirring overdrive.

“Taicchan~! I got something for you!”

Looking over, Taichi saw Kazunari beaming at him and waving a magazine in his hand. He turned back on his other side to face him and raised an eyebrow, signalling for Kazunari to continue.

“It’s a new dating advice magazine! You’re still into these, right? If not then I don’t mind keeping it all for myself~ Might prove more useful than I imagine”.

_No! I need that so I know what to do! Although, nothing seems to have worked so far…,_ “Sure, thanks,” he replied and by the way Kazunari’s smile dropped he’d definitely detected the sadness edging Taichi’s voice. Dammit.

“Taicchan, something happen? You’re not yourself,” Taichi shuffled as his best friend drew nearer and soon he had Kazunari’s face so close as the older boy leaned on his arms on the edge of the bed, frowning in immediate concern, “Has someone said something to you? Done something to you? Tell me, Taicchan, I’ll set them straight!”

Taichi shook his head, “It’s nothing, Kazu”.

“Doesn’t sound or look like nothing to me. What happened to my precious Taicchan being so happy and energetic like usual?” Kazunari reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately.

“I guess…I guess I’m just not feeling like myself right now. A-Anyway, pass the magazine, I wanna look!”

Kazunari seemed to be reluctant in handing over Taichi’s new reading material, his frown still present as he watched the other flick through the pages frantically, “Does that thing really help?”

“Well…not yet! But it will! Wh-When I have enough courage to try their tips, eheh~…”

Taichi tried to focus on the pages his fingers landed on, hoping there wasn’t an obvious blush on his cheeks right at that moment.

Kazunari continued to interrogate him (or at least that’s what it was feeling like), “So that must mean there’s someone you like, right?”

“…Perhaps there is…”

“That girl from your childhood?”

Taichi shook his head, knowing he was definitely showing at least subtle signs of a blush now, “Some…some g-guy…”

“A guy? Ain’t nothing wrong with that!” Kazunari’s smile returned encouragingly and Taichi only felt a slight bit better, “Are you afraid they won’t like you back? Because you’re both guys? I mean girls are great but I wouldn’t mind dating another dude if given the chance, could work out better for all I know”.

“I-I just don’t…feel good enough… That’s why I read the magazines; to improve myself and be someone they would want me to be”.

“Taicchan! That’s not gonna work at all, believe me!” Kazunari exclaimed a little more than expected, much to Taichi’s surprise, “I know from first-hand experience that you should never ever change who you are for someone to accept you! I didn’t want to say anything about your whole wanting-to-be-popular motive but it applies there as well, quite frankly! You should be with people who accept you as you truly are, not people who will only see something fake. If I could go back to how I was before then I probably would given half the chance… If you want to be someone you’re not then there are ways of changing yourself that are for the greater good! Things like popularity and crushes can be overlooked majorly! You should be yourself, Taicchan, and if the guy you like doesn’t accept that then it’s his loss!”

Taichi’s eyes widened in awe as Kazunari’s words sunk in. He’d heard him talk about his climb up the social ladder before but he’d had no idea Kazunari had done it with the intent on changing himself for others – a road that Taichi was all too used to receiving temptation from. The words rolled around and around in his brain until he shook his head and shifted to make room for his best friend to sit beside him properly.

Kazunari took his silent offer and soon the younger found himself pulled onto his lap in a fierce hug. He slowly wrapped his arms around Kazunari in return, pressing his cheek against his shirt and leaving the magazine abandoned in the space he’d just been occupying. His heart was cracking, slowly being chipped away at. His fingers curled into Kazunari’s shirt.

“I’m sorry…Kazu…,” he mumbled softly with Kazunari rubbing his back in response.

“You’re perfect just the way you are, Taicchan, and don’t let anyone let you believe otherwise”.

Taichi smiled then. Kazunari was warm and he felt like drifting off to sleep there and then. He didn’t know when he’d ever tell his best friend how he truly felt about him but at least he knew that, with some new reassurance, he was one step closer.


End file.
